Chris Wesseling

Dynasty Rankings

Pre-Camp Dynasty Buys

6. Michael Vick / Jeremy Maclin, Eagles - Don’t get caught up the debate over Vick’s standing among NFL signal-callers. Whether he’s top-5, top-10 or top-15, the rifle arm and crazy legs ensure that Vick remains one of the league’s most electric performers every time he steps foot on the field. From a fantasy perspective, though, it’s his surrounding talent that makes the difference between mid-range QB1 and the highest ceiling in the game. As I pointed out in May, my fantasy sports philosophy essentially boils down to targeting the player with the highest upside in a best-case scenario. Vick was averaging nearly 10 points per week more than the next-closest quarterback down the stretch run two years ago. That’s the holy grail of fantasy in a nutshell.

Eagles beat reporters issued, in unison, a “breakout alert” for a noticeably stronger Maclin this spring. They weren’t alone. Vick and former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah are both predicting a “huge year” for Maclin. One trusted national source has confirmed to Rotoworld privately that Maclin was a beast in offseason practices. On pace for 90 receptions and over 1,200 yards before shoulder and hamstring injuries limited him to 19 catches and 253 yards in the second half, Maclin is a prime candidate to crash the top-10 fantasy receivers in 2012. Keep in mind the 19th overall pick in the 2009 draft is just two months older than A.J. Green.

7. Mike Wallace, Steelers - Antonio Brown may be a superior route runner, but there’s no comparison between the top two Steelers receivers in terms of pure talent. Brown fashioned an impressive second-half while capitalizing on single coverage. Wallace is first in yards per reception and fourth in touchdown rate in the entire NFL over the past ten years while hauling in 42 percent of the team’s receiving scores in 2010 and 36 percent last season. Despite facing bracket coverage, Wallace hasn’t finished out of the top-10 fantasy receivers since entering the starting lineup. Don’t mistake the wide-receiver pecking order in Pittsburgh; Wallace is the one with the unique talent.

8. Andre Johnson, Texans - I was recently asked on Twitter if Johnson qualifies as a “buy” considering his age and late injury history. Despite the twin hamstring injuries last year, Johnson was still getting open at will in the playoffs, racking up 13 catches and 201 yards on 24 targets in two games.

Still viewed by none other than esteemed NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell as the league’s top receiver, Johnson is a Hall of Fame talent with 2-3 elite fantasy seasons left under his belt. The age and injury concerns have lowered Johnson’s value to the point where he’s an affordable acquisition for contending owners seeking that final piece to put them over the top in 2012. If your first-round draft selection isn’t in the top three or four picks, flip it for a player who can add put the trophy on the mantle over the next few years.

What has me just as excited in Dynasty formats, though, is the plethora of young talent surfacing in Tennessee’s offense. Chris Johnson’s 4.8 YPC average in the final nine games was right in line with his career mark, Kenny Britt is a legit No. 1 receiver, Jared Cook is a freakishly athletic tight end and Kendall Wright falls in line with Percy Harvin as the model for the dangerous new-age slot receiver. Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is expected to implement a wide-open, “explosive” offense with more multi-receiver sets.

10. Dez Bryant, Cowboys - From the outside looking in it certainly appears the initial reaction to Bryant’s first-ever arrest has brought more hand-wringing than Marshawn Lynch’s third arrest. Widely respected Dallas Morning News scribe Rick Gosselin, who does have access to high-placed sources, is calling for a team-issued suspension while noting that Bryant “puts himself on a pedestal above his team in uniform and out.” As NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal points out, on the other hand, disciplining Bryant could be tricky for the NFL and the Cowboys.

My opinion on Bryant’s Dynasty outlook hasn’t changed since last year. I still view him as a clueless kid ignorant of basic adult responsibilities rather than a bad seed of Brandon Marshall proportions. Offseason reports suggest Bryant has shown tangible improvement on the field while finally transforming his body into freakish football shape. One reliable source has confirmed to Rotoworld that Bryant has indeed honed his route running and chemistry with Tony Romo as the light switch has flipped on. By October, the misdemeanor arrest will be fading in the rear-view mirror.

The NFL news cycle picks up again with the opening of training camps later this month, which means Dynasty rookie drafts are soon to follow. The astute Dynasty owner has long realized this is the perfect time of the year to capitalize on the inflated value of rookie picks from the late-first through the third round.

Now that draftniks have created a year-long cottage industry, there is even greater opportunity to steal potential breakout players with NFL experience at the cost of a few shined-up draft picks. As draft “experts” populate Twitter with their favorite mid-round sleepers and steals, it’s instructive to remember that the hit rate for rookie picks 6-35 will never reach reliability. Without the benefit of training camp or exhibition action -- much less regular-season film -- the majority of rookie picks come down to luck rather than drafting acumen.

Where was the Denarius Moore love last offseason when draft analysts were hyping Bilal Powell, Jacquizz Rodgers, Johnny White and even undrafted free agents such as Chad Spann or Darren Evans? It’s not that those who analyze the draft for a living aren’t good at what they do. It’s that the nature of mid-rounds picks is akin to a carnival game. The fix is in ahead of time with more misses than hits while still making it hard to judge the difficulty. It always has been. Use that to your advantage by targeting players that have put undeniable talent on NFL game film yet still have room to grow fantasy value.

1. Matt Ryan / Julio Jones, Falcons - This time a year ago we were hoping the blowout playoff loss to the Packers would jolt the coaching staff into realizing the Falcons can’t compete with the NFL’s elite until they open up the offense. After the hiring of coordinator Dirk Koetter, we finally have tangibleevidence that the offense will skew more heavilytoward the pass.

Jones is the best kind of Dynasty investment. When a player already boasts freakishly explosive physical ability and a commitment to excellence, he becomes can’t-miss once the organization starts telegraphing their big plans for the upcoming season. When they interviewed Koetter back in January, the Falcons brass was convinced he would concentrate on getting the ball in Jones’ hands. Ryan expects a “great year” from the game’s most dynamic post-catch runner, and Roddy White confirms his own role will be reduced while Jones is highlighted. I’m packaging draft picks and young talent to make a serious run at Julio before August.

2. Ryan Mathews, Chargers - Rotoworld already had the Mathews angle covered in May when I ranked the potential every-down workhorse No. 2 among re-draft backs and Evan Silva followed suit with a detailed breakdown of his 2012 outlook. A month later, NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell told Silva that Mathews could be a “top-five guy” as Norv Turner’s foundation back.

How great is the impact of Mike Tolbert’s departure? As @FantasyFbPundit points out, Tolbert’s snap rate was 44 percent in the 13 games the two back suited up together. Mathews still managed a top-seven fantasy finish while becoming one of just 10 backs to average 20+ carries plus targets per game. Those in PPR formats would be wise to note that Mathews and Tolbert each finished in the top-10 in targets per game last season. The price for Mathews is higher now than it was two months ago but not as high as it’s going to climb by mid-season. Strike now before he’s off the table altogether.

3. Randall Cobb, Packers - It’s not unusual for an elite fantasy receiver to begin his career as a dynamic return specialist. Look no further than Steve Smith, Percy Harvin or even borderline Hall of Famer Tim Brown. A Harvin-like talent with eye-opening RAC skills (Julio Jones was the only full-time receiver with a greater YAC per reception average last season), Cobb is Aaron Rodgers’ long-term slot receiver in the league’s most finely-tuned passing attack.

After advising Twitter followers to bombard Cobb owners with trade offers over the summer, I made waves by stating that I’d flip Antonio Brownstraight-up for the former Kentucky star. I stand by that assessment. Cobb has the advantage in talent, quarterback and play-caller. It’s not a question of whether Cobb will arrive as a fantasy star, but when.

4. Darren McFadden, Raiders - One of my long-held fantasy football philosophies is that injuries at running back are common enough that you have to place a high value on the ones who score the most points when they are in the lineup. Trying to ascertain which running backs suffer fluke injuries and which backs are wearing down physically to the point where they become injury prone is an inexact science. Rotoworld’s Frank DuPont a/k/a @FantasyDouche recently coined the term “injury agnostic” to describe the windmill-tilting that is injury prediction. Explaining “recency bias,” DuPont points out that Matthew Stafford, universally declared injury-prone last summer, is now valued without risk. “It’s got to be 100 percent in our head,” Dupont muses.

McFadden’s high ceiling and high floor when he does play ensure that he’s a top-tier fantasy back. Go get him while the getting is good.

5. Brandon Lloyd, Patriots - Looking for this year’s “Steve Smith Career Renaissance Award” winner? The last time Lloyd enjoyed both a decent quarterback and a creative play-caller, he finished the season as fantasy’s top receiver. Reunited with that play-caller, Lloyd gives the best passer of his career the sorely-needed field-stretcher (horizontally as well as vertically) to fill the vacancy left since Randy Moss wrote his ticket out of town.

6. Michael Vick / Jeremy Maclin, Eagles - Don’t get caught up the debate over Vick’s standing among NFL signal-callers. Whether he’s top-5, top-10 or top-15, the rifle arm and crazy legs ensure that Vick remains one of the league’s most electric performers every time he steps foot on the field. From a fantasy perspective, though, it’s his surrounding talent that makes the difference between mid-range QB1 and the highest ceiling in the game. As I pointed out in May, my fantasy sports philosophy essentially boils down to targeting the player with the highest upside in a best-case scenario. Vick was averaging nearly 10 points per week more than the next-closest quarterback down the stretch run two years ago. That’s the holy grail of fantasy in a nutshell.

Eagles beat reporters issued, in unison, a “breakout alert” for a noticeably stronger Maclin this spring. They weren’t alone. Vick and former Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah are both predicting a “huge year” for Maclin. One trusted national source has confirmed to Rotoworld privately that Maclin was a beast in offseason practices. On pace for 90 receptions and over 1,200 yards before shoulder and hamstring injuries limited him to 19 catches and 253 yards in the second half, Maclin is a prime candidate to crash the top-10 fantasy receivers in 2012. Keep in mind the 19th overall pick in the 2009 draft is just two months older than A.J. Green.

7. Mike Wallace, Steelers - Antonio Brown may be a superior route runner, but there’s no comparison between the top two Steelers receivers in terms of pure talent. Brown fashioned an impressive second-half while capitalizing on single coverage. Wallace is first in yards per reception and fourth in touchdown rate in the entire NFL over the past ten years while hauling in 42 percent of the team’s receiving scores in 2010 and 36 percent last season. Despite facing bracket coverage, Wallace hasn’t finished out of the top-10 fantasy receivers since entering the starting lineup. Don’t mistake the wide-receiver pecking order in Pittsburgh; Wallace is the one with the unique talent.

8. Andre Johnson, Texans - I was recently asked on Twitter if Johnson qualifies as a “buy” considering his age and late injury history. Despite the twin hamstring injuries last year, Johnson was still getting open at will in the playoffs, racking up 13 catches and 201 yards on 24 targets in two games.

Still viewed by none other than esteemed NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell as the league’s top receiver, Johnson is a Hall of Fame talent with 2-3 elite fantasy seasons left under his belt. The age and injury concerns have lowered Johnson’s value to the point where he’s an affordable acquisition for contending owners seeking that final piece to put them over the top in 2012. If your first-round draft selection isn’t in the top three or four picks, flip it for a player who can add put the trophy on the mantle over the next few years.

What has me just as excited in Dynasty formats, though, is the plethora of young talent surfacing in Tennessee’s offense. Chris Johnson’s 4.8 YPC average in the final nine games was right in line with his career mark, Kenny Britt is a legit No. 1 receiver, Jared Cook is a freakishly athletic tight end and Kendall Wright falls in line with Percy Harvin as the model for the dangerous new-age slot receiver. Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is expected to implement a wide-open, “explosive” offense with more multi-receiver sets.

10. Dez Bryant, Cowboys - From the outside looking in it certainly appears the initial reaction to Bryant’s first-ever arrest has brought more hand-wringing than Marshawn Lynch’s third arrest. Widely respected Dallas Morning News scribe Rick Gosselin, who does have access to high-placed sources, is calling for a team-issued suspension while noting that Bryant “puts himself on a pedestal above his team in uniform and out.” As NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal points out, on the other hand, disciplining Bryant could be tricky for the NFL and the Cowboys.

My opinion on Bryant’s Dynasty outlook hasn’t changed since last year. I still view him as a clueless kid ignorant of basic adult responsibilities rather than a bad seed of Brandon Marshall proportions. Offseason reports suggest Bryant has shown tangible improvement on the field while finally transforming his body into freakish football shape. One reliable source has confirmed to Rotoworld that Bryant has indeed honed his route running and chemistry with Tony Romo as the light switch has flipped on. By October, the misdemeanor arrest will be fading in the rear-view mirror.

Chris Wesseling is a senior football editor and Dynasty league analyst for Rotoworld.com. The 2011 NFL season marks his fifth year with Rotoworld and his third year contributing to NBCSports.com. He can be found on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.Email :Chris Wesseling